Call for Submissions – The American Institute for Maghrib Studies (AIMS) Mentoring Program
September 14, 2018
AIMS Mentoring Program
The American Institute for Maghrib Studies (AIMS) calls for applications for its year-long mentoring program. This program responds to needs communicated through the AIMS Graduate Student Association (GSA). Noting that some graduate students often have little to no contact with regional specialists at their home institutions, the AIMS mentoring program seeks to provide greater opportunities for interaction with established North Africanists. The program matches five to ten advanced doctoral students with established scholars who agree to serve as mentors for a period of one year.
Guidelines
Applications from prospective mentees are due September 26, 2018. Students must be AIMS members at the time of application, and may be at any stage of their graduate program beyond coursework. Successful applicants will be informed by October 12, 2018 if they are selected for the program. Mentors and mentees will have the opportunity to meet and commence the mentoring relationship at the AIMS annual business meeting, this year in San Antonio, TX. Participants must maintain AIMS membership throughout the mentoring year.
Mentors will be established faculty who commit to mentoring one graduate student from another institution for the duration of the year. In pairing mentors and mentees, the Graduate Student Committee will consider the nature of the assistance sought by the mentee and the type of guidance the mentor is willing and able to offer, as well as disciplines and research sites. AIMS may not be able to accommodate all prospective participants, and may be not able to pair mentors and mentees who work within the same discipline, country, and/or time period.
Mentors might offer guidance related to networking and field contacts, funding sources, language training, research sites, publication strategies, the job search, professional development, and/or pedagogy. Mentors might also offer to read very short pieces of writing such as grant applications, conference paper proposals, cover letters, or syllabi; but they will not be expected to do so. This mentoring relationship is not meant to replace advising at the mentee’s home institution. Ideally, the mentor should provide additional guidance of the type that an experienced North Africanist would be in the best position to offer. Mentors and mentees should communicate on a monthly basis via e-mail. If any difficulties arise, participants are asked to contact the Graduate Student Committee rather than ending the mentoring relationship directly.
How to Apply
Graduate student members of AIMS who will have completed their doctoral coursework at the time of application are eligible to apply. To apply, send a cover letter and current CV to aims@aimsnorthafrica.org by September 26, 2018, with the subject line “Mentoring Application.” In the letter, include your stage of program, discipline, research topic, and a brief statement (300-400 words) addressing your interest in the mentoring program, including your primary professional concerns and reasons for requesting a mentor outside your institution. Applications will be reviewed by the Graduate Student Committee and notifications will be sent by October 12, 2018.
Interested in being a Mentor?
Mentoring supports a junior colleague’s professional development and contributes to the growth of North African studies. If you are interested in serving as a mentor from November 2018-November 2019, send an email to aims@aimsnorthafrica.org with the subject line “Mentoring Program” by September 26, 2018. Include your affiliation, career stage, discipline, and a brief statement addressing the guidance you would be willing to offer. Please also state if you would like your name to be included in our mentor database so we can contact you in the future when a mentee requires a particular unavailable expertise.
Questions?
Please contact the chair of AIMS’ Graduate Student Committee, Camilo Gomez-Rivas, cgomezri@ucsc.edu.